Railway brake beam reversible strut structure



Dec. 24, 1963 B. D. CROFT 3,115,221

RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM REVERSIBLE STRUT STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 23, 1962 f u" I :L=g V 6 5 H 4 :5

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/5 l FIG 6. f2, /9 3 26 nm M N [z \X/ZG United States Patent 3,115,221 RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM REVERSIBLE STRUT STRUCTURE Bernard D. Croft, Aitoona, Pa., assignor to American Seal-Kap Corporation of Delaware, New York, N.Y.,

a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 23, 1%2, Ser. No. 219,033 4 Claims. (Cl. 188--229.6)

The invention relates to railway brake beams of the truss type comprising a compression member and a tension member, there being a strut spacing the members apart at the middle of the beam and the members converging toward the ends of the beam where they are secured together and mount brake heads.

The invention comprises generally a strut having a pair of through transverse passageways disposed angularly of each other circumferentially of the strut for selective application of a brake lever inclined either to the right or to the left as desired at an angle of 50 from the horizontal plane of the beam main members or 40 from the vertical when the beam is in functioning position on a railway truck.

More specifically the strut includes a two-part fulcrum unit applicable to and removable from the passageway not occupied by the brake lever and, similarly to the lever, selectively applicable to either passageway.

The object of the invention is to produce a rigid onepiece strut body which may be permanently assembled with the compression and tension members of the beam, as distinguished from reversible struts previously disclosed in which the lever mounting portion of the strut is rotatable relative to the main compression and tension members of the beam.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a selected embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a railway brake beam including a strut embodying the invention and indicating the application thereto of a lever inclined to the left.

FIG. 2 is a transverse detail section through the strut on line 22 of FIG. 1 but dnawn to a larger scale and showing a left hand disposition of the lever and a corresponding disposition of the fulcrum forming unit.

FIG. 3 is a view of the construction shown in FIG. 2 looking in the direction of line 33.

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 2 but shows the lever and fulcrum structure reversed for a right hand disposition of the lever and also indicates positions of the fulcrum unit parts during application to and removal from the strut.

FIG. 5 is a detail section and View looking in the direction of line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a detail of the two parts. of the fulcrum-forming structure separated from each other.

The beam comprises a compression member 1, which may be of channel cross section, a tension member 2, which may be of bar or round rod cross section, a strut S holding the compression and tension members spaced apart at the middle of the beam, and end members 4 riveted or otherwise secured to the ends of the compression and tension members and preferably forming brake heads for mounting the brake shoes (not shown) which are applied to the truck wheels (not shown). The strut S is formed of a cylindrical body 6 preferably cast in one piece and terminating at its ends in integral jaws 7, 8 respectively which may be permanently secured to the compression and tension members of the beam. Two passageways 11, 12 extend transversely through the strut body, the planes of the passageways intersecting each other at the axis of the strut and the axis of these planes are disposed at an angle of 40 to the vertical, or at an angle of 50 to the horizontal, or to the general plane of the beam as determined by the compression and tension members.

In other words, the central planes of the passageways are spaced apart circumferentially of the strut at alternate angles of and 100.

A brake lever 15 may be selectively applied to either passageway. The two part strut fulcrum structure detailed in FIG. 6 is then applied to the other passageway by manipulation of the two parts as indicated in FIG. 4. One part comprises an elongated filler member 17 dimensioned to substantially but not tightly fill the space between opposite sides of passageway 12 at one side of the strut (FIG. 2). A cylindrical boss 18 is integral with the central portion of filler 17. A reduced diameter extension 19 projects from the end of boss 18. The axis of boss 18 and extension 19 is inclined at an angle of 10 to the axis of the central plane of filler member 17. A filler member 21 corresponds generally to filler member 17 and is similarly freely received within passageway 12 at the other side of the strut and is provided with an aperture 22 to receive extension 19. A cotter 24 completes and maintains the assembly.

When the assembly is completed boss 18 forms a fulcrum for lever 15 and its axis is disposed at an angle of to the central plane of the other strut passageway, which is the plane of the lever, as is necessary to properly pivot the latter.

During assembly and disassembly of the strut lever and fulcrum structure, the part 17, 18, 19 may be first applied and last removed from the strut by inclining the same and shifting the lever as indicated in broken lines in FIG. 4. When this fulcrum part is in functioning position, part 21 may be applied and removed readily.

The end portions of the strut body may be solid or tubular. The intersecting through passageways 11, 12 provide the strut with four circumferentially spaced triangular sections 26 extending lengthwise of the intermediate portion of the strut. The solid lock-on end of the strut is riveted to the beam compression member and, being integral with the remainder of the strut body, renders the strut more rigid than could be obtained in a reversible strut composed of two or more parts rotatable on each other about the strut axis as has been used previously. The angular disposition of the axis of the fulcrum boss 18 relative to the central plane of the filler member, with which it is integral, provides for the correct 90 angular disposition of the boss relative to the lever irrespective of which passageway receives the boss or the lever.

The details of the structure may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of those modifications coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway brake beam strut including a body having two intersecting transverse passageways for selective application of a brake lever to the strut,

the axes of the planes of the passageways being disposed at angles of 40 circumferentially of the strut from opposite sides of the vertical when the strut is in a functioning position,

filler members elongated lengthwise of the strut and spaced apart transversely of the strut and received in one of the passageways,

one filler member having an integral cylindrical boss extending across the space between said members and forming a brake lever fulcrum pin with its axis disposed at an angle of 90 to the plane of the other passageway,

said boss having an extension of relatively smaller cross section extending through said one passageway and directly attached to the other filler member.

2. A railway brake beam strut according to claim 1, which includes detachable means securing the boss extension directly to the second-mentioned filler member, there being clearance between the filler member with the boss and the sides of the passageway receiving the same permitting inclination of the member relative to the sides of the passageway while in the passageway for withdrawal of the member and boss and the boss extension transversely of the strut.

3. A railway brake beam strut two-part fulcrum unit comprising parallel elongated strut-slot filling members spaced apart transversely of their length a distance corresponding to the thickness of a brake lever to be mounted in the strut, and a cylindrical boss extending between said members intermediate their ends and constituting a lever fulcrum and being integral with one of said members and detachably secured to the other of said members, the cylindrical boss in one member including an integral reduced diameter extension received in and secured to the other member, and the axis of the cylindrical boss is disposed at an angle of approximately to the transverse axis of the member integral therewith. 4. A railway brake beam strut including .a body having two intersecting transverse passageways for selective application of a brake lever to the strut,

the axes of the planes of the passageways being disposed i at angles of circumferentially of the strut from opposite sides of the vertical when the strut is in a functioning position,

filler members elongated lengthwise 0f the strut and spaced apart transversely of the strut and received in one of the passageways,

one filler member having an integral cylindrical boss extending across the space between said members and forming a brake lever fulcrum pin with its axis disposed at an angle of to the plane of the other passageway,

a reduced diameter extension on the outer end of the fulcrum pin proiecting through the other filler member and a cotter in the outer end of the small diameter extension holding the two members assembled,

the boss and the reduced diameter extension thereon having their axes disposed at an angle of substantially 10 to the plane of said one passageway receiving the filler member,

and at an angle of substantially 90 to the plane of the other passageway.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,330,748 Sagstetter Sept. 28, 1943 

1. A RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM STRUT INCLUDING A BODY HAVING TWO INTERSECTING TRANSVERSE PASSAGEWAYS FOR SELECTIVE APPLICATION OF A BRAKE LEVER TO THE STRUT, THE AXES OF THE PLANES OF THE PASSAGEWAYS BEING DISPOSED AT ANGLES OF 40* CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF THE STRUT FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE VERTICAL WHEN THE STRUT IS IN A FUNCTIONING POSITION, FILLER MEMBERS ELONGATED LENGTHWISE OF THE STRUT AND SPACED APART TRANSVERSELY OF THE STRUT AND RECEIVED IN ONE OF THE PASSAGEWAYS, ONE FILLER MEMBER HAVING AN INTEGRAL CYLINDRICAL BOSS EXTENDING ACROSS THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS AND FORMING A BRAKE LEVER FULCRUM PIN WITH ITS AXIS DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE OF 90* TO THE PLANE OF THE OTHER PASSAGEWAY, SAID BOSS HAVING AN EXTENSION OF RELATIVELY SMALLER CROSS SECTION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID ONE PASSAGEWAY AND DIRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE OTHER FILLER MEMBER. 